Fire-escape



(No l flodel.) I W. I. ALLINDER. r

- FIRE BSGAPE. I No. 290,197. Patented Dec; 18, 1883.

b WM Nah EX WW mm.

, UNITED STATES? PATENT OFFICE.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters.Patent Nag 90,197, dated December 18, 1 883.

' Application filed March 19, 1883. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern..-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM IRWIN ALLIN- DER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin, in the State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and usefullmprovements in Fire- Escapes, of which the following specification is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being also had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to devices by which persons may escape from burning buildings;

and it consists in the construction and arrangement of parts herein shown and described, and then sought to be specifically defined by the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a front view of the device complete. Fig. 2 is across-section through the rope-drum. Fig. 3 is a cross-section through one of the harness-trunnions, and Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the combined ropedrum and harness support detached. Fig. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of the combined rope -drum and harnesssupports detached, showing a slight variation in the construction.

A is a metal drum or shaft, having disks a a upon its ends and the rims of the disks connected to each other by a small bar, 1). Projecting from the outside of the centers of these disks a a are two shorter shafts or trunnions, c c",with smaller disks d (1 upon their outer ends, as shown in Fig. 4. All these parts will be cast in one piece, or formed separately and then secured together; but I prefer them cast in one piece, as shown. The shafts A and trunnions c 0 may be all of one size, as shown, or the shaft A may be larger than the trunnions c c".

B is aleather or other strap or harness, connected by its ends to the trunnions 0 c, as shown, and the lower end formed into a loop, 0, by a clasp, e, encircling the two parts of the strap, and D is a rope of a length sufficient to reach from the roof or uppermost story of the building to which it is attached to the ground, and provided on its upper end with a hook, E, and adapted to be wound one or more times around the shaft Abeneath the bar I), and with the lower end hanging loose, as shown, the bar I) serving to prevent the rope from running off over the disks a a";

When the device is to be used, the hook E is made fast to a staple or eyebolt secured inthe floor or other part of the room from which the person is to descend, or made fast in any other convenient and secure manner. 0 is then passed over the head and shoulders and brought up under the arms, and the clasp e pushed down close to the breast of the wearer, to prevent the strap from slippingoff. The rope is then grasped by the hands and the The loop wearer swings himself free from the building,

when his Weight coming upon the drum A causes it to act as a brake, so that the drum moves slowly down the rope. The weight of a light person or child will be enough to overcome the friction to an extent sufficient to cause them to move slowly down the rope to the ground; but when heavy persons are descending it will be necessary for them or'some person on the ground below to pull down slightly upon the rope, and thereby increase the friction upon the drum and cause the descent to be made as slowly as desired. A force of only about ten pounds, or less than the full force of asingle arm of an ordinary man upon the rope, is sufficient to hold the occupant stationary; hence the descent can be made as slowly as desired by any person by simply pulling down upon the rope and allowing it to slowly slip through the hands. An additional strap, Gr, (shown by'dotted lines in Fig. 1,) long enough to support the feet, may be attached to the trunnions c c, if required. The straps may be connected to the central shaft or drum, A, in any other manner than by the trunnions 0' 0 if preferred. the principal feature of my invention consisting in the brake function of the shaft A, and means for utilizing the weight of the person using the device to regulate largely the speed of the descent.

In Fig. 5 is showna perspective view, enlarged, similar to Fig. at, showing a slight variation in the construction, consisting in the addition of a second bar, b, on the opposite sides of the disks a a", and a small bar, I), connecting the bar I) with the drum A, and pass between the two parts of the rope D as it encircles the drum, thereby increasing the, friction and causing the descent to be made still more slowly, if desired;

Having described'my invention and set forth its merits, what I claim is--- 1. The combination of the drum A, disks a a, bar I), rope D, supporting-strap B, and means for supporting said strap, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination of the drum A, disks a a, bar I), rope D, trunnions 0 c disks (1 d", and supporting-strap 13, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination of the drum A, disks a a bar I), rope D, trunnions c c, disks (1 cl", waist-supporting strap 13, and foot-support G, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. The combination of a drum around which 

